Saturday, March 22, 2014

2006 NFA (4-21) Super Bowl League News Update

Super Bowl IV
Dakota Vipers (14-4) vs. Yukon Yeti (18-0)
7 to 49

Box Score
Team      1Q       2Q       3Q      4Q
Vipers      0           0          0         7
Yeti          0           7        21       21

Team Statistics
Dakota                              Yukon
216        Total Offense         397
23          Rushing Yards       158
193        Passing Yards        239
12            First Downs           14
327          Total Yards          427
2               Turnovers               0
6/14     3rd Down Conv        2/5
1          Off Redzone Att          6
10:24    Possession Time      9:36

Individual Statistics
Passing (team, position)  Rating   Yds    TD    Int  Comp / Att  Comp%   Avg    Sack    Long
Ben Harris (YY, QB)      137.7   237      5      0        18 / 26     69          9.1       0        27
Todd Price (DV, QB)       51.7   193      1      2        19 / 38     50          5.0       0        23

Rushing (team, position)       Yds    TD     Att     Avg    Fumb     BTk  After 1st Hit  20+ yds   Long
Tim Peterson    (YY, HB     146       2       11    13.2         0          1           13             1            69
Ben Harris        (YY, QB)      7        0         1      7.0          0          0            0             0              7
Charles Burnett (YY, FB        5        0        2       2.5          0          0            0             0              4
Jermaine Rojas (DV, HB       17       0       17      1.0          0          0          14             0              8
Jeff Bruce         (DV, FB)        6       0         1      6.0          0          0            1             0              6

Receiving (team, position)                 Rec       Yds     Avg    TD    YAC      Long
Mack Pleasant       (YY, WR)             4          33       8.2      1       23          14
Lamar Craig           (YY, WR)             3         44      14.6      1       23          23
Tim Peterson          (YY, HB)              2         27      13.5      1        7           19
T.J. Oliver              (YY, WR)             2         44      22.0      1       12          27
Richard Cummings (YY, WR)             2          20     10.0       0         0         15
Charles Burnett      (YY, FB)              1            2       2.0       0          1           2
Bobby Hughes       (YY, WR)             1          15     15.0       0         1          15
Roscoe Terrell       (YY, WR)             1          17     17.0       0       12          17
Derek Pruitt           (YY, TE)              1          16     16.0        1        0           16
Neil Parker            (YY, TE)              1          21     21.0        0        5           21
Adrian Emanuel     (DV, WR)            6           77     12.8       0        2            21
Karl Harry             (DV, TE)              4          46     11.5        1       12          17
Terry Spires          (DV, WR)             3          16      5.3        0         1             9
Brad Jean              (DV, WR)            2          33     16.5        0        1           23
Jeff Bruce              (DV, FB)             2          -2      -0.5         0        2            0
Jermaine Rojas      (DV, HB)             2          22     11.0        0        3           14

Defensive Leaders (team, position)    Tackles     Misc.                                              
Lionel Nipper         (YY, MLB)            10         3 TFL, 1 Pass Defl
Andre Harry           (YY, CB)                6          1 Pass Defl
Warrick Walton      (YY, ROLB)           3          2 TFL, 1 Pass Defl
Antwaan Mason     (YY, SS)                 3          1 TFL, 1 INT (26 yds), 2 Pass Defl
Ted Watts              (YY, CB)                1          1 INT (13 yds), 4 Pass Defl

Kicking (team, position)              Misc                                                                                   
Gabe Olson             (DV, P)     2 FGA, 0 FGM, 1 30-39 FGA, 1 50+ FGA, 1 XPM, 2 KO
Ronnie Johnson       (YY, K)     7 XPM
Richard McCaffrey (YY, P)       8 KO, 4 TB

Punting (team, position)             Avg          No.        Yds      Net Yds       TB    Long
Richard McCaffrey (YY, P)      36.3            3          109          69             2        54
Gabe Olson            (DV, P)      33.6            5          168         161            0        40

MVP
YY HB Tim Peterson (146 yds rushing, 11 att, 2 TD, 27 yds receiving, 2 rec, TD)

Additional Information
Dakota Kicker Santana Millard missed the game due to a strained back.

Analysis and Recap
The Yukon Yeti are Super Bowl Champions for the third straight year. The game seemed to be a stalemate for most of the first half. Yukon punted the ball away three different times before finally driving down the field with under two minutes in the half. Ben Harris found TE Derek Pruitt in the corner of the endzone, putting the score at 7-0 Yukon at halftime. Dakota punter Gabe Olson was forced to play kicker due to Santana Millard's strained back, resulting in a missed 38 yard field goal as time ran out in the first half. Yukon came out very strong in the second half. After a decent kick return from T.J. Oliver, the Yeti opened with a dominating 69 yard rushing play orchestrated by solid blocking by the front line and solid running by HB Tim Peterson. Although Yukon rarely uses their running game, every time Peterson got the call it was to great effect. Yukon compiled 21 points in the third quarter, securing a relatively comfortable 28 point lead. Dakota's offense failed to get anything going until midway through the fourth quarter. In short, Yukon's defense provided a decent backing to a mistake free performance from the offense. The second half saw Yukon throw together 42 points, 21 in each quarter, an impressive performance to be sure. Perhaps if Dakota had started stronger, the game would've gone differently. As soon as the second half was underway, it was clear that Yukon was going to run away with their third straight title. Overall, Yukon's balanced and consistent attack wore down Dakota's defense while constant pressure on the QB and stout run defense prevented the Vipers from mounting all but one successful drive to the redzone.

Conclusions
Dakota put together an impressive run after clinching homefield advantage in the playoffs. Their experience in the tough conference of the NFC North has helped them play good teams and beat them when it matters. Will they return with equal force next year? I doubt it. Although I don't see it as unlikely that Dakota posts another double digit win season, the competitive NFC North could just as easily go to the rising Springfield Knights or the always fighting Madison Timberwolves. I don't see them returning to the Super Bowl next year unless they make some grand off-season acquisitions or have a very lucky year.

Yukon is clearly still on top of the NFA with its young stars, versatile receiving corps, and improving defense. However, Yukon faces a series of contract expirations that may be inescapable this off-season. To name a few: WR T.J. Oliver, MLB Anthony Moss, FS Jon Baker, K Ronnie Johnson, P Richard McCaffery. Combined with the rise of certain backup players, the most prominent of course being QB Ben Harris, Yukon faces a unique challenge. Having just signed QB Torry Mathis to a 7 year contract at the start of the 2006 season, the Yeti have only a year before Ben Harris' contract expires. The question is: will he even last that long as backup? Harris is clearly at the caliber of starting QB now. Who will Yukon choose? Of course, the series of dilemmas Yukon is facing this coming off-season is almost entirely due to the fact that their franchise is experiencing unprecedented success. Can they do it again next season? Quite possibly. Whichever QB the Yeti go with, they still have an offensive leader in the form of WR Mack Pleasant and two versatile backs behind center. Right now, Yukon is spending more than most teams in the league, but also taking in more due to their success. Without much cap room to work with, Yukon may be forced to make some cuts to their talented roster. How much will this actually impede their success? Probably not too much. The Yeti are still the team to beat.

The Abominable Snowmen - Why Teams Should and Shouldn't Worry About the Yukon Yeti

Yukon and undefeated are becoming synonymous around the league water cooler. No team has scored more than 20 points against the Yeti this season. Conversely, the Yeti have yet to play a game in which they have scored under 33 points. The closest game any team has played against Yukon this season was the Grizzlies week 11 game in which they lost by 18 points, 35 to 17. Every team that's scheduled to play Yukon can't escape the nagging fear that they're going to be blown out. Even traditional conference powerhouses like the Atlantic Tide and Carson City Comets have seen their potent defenses crumble and their dynamic offenses reduced to hopeless pass plays. In the face of such apparent mismatches, what can teams do to counter the Yeti?

The key to understanding Yukon's success begins with an examination of their offense. The Yeti rely on specific receivers running specific routes at specific times. Moreover, the Yeti rely on having an athletic, mobile quarterback. It shouldn't take an analyst to recognize that Yukon's smallest margin of victory this season came when Stan Payne was forced to play an entire half at QB. That being said, Yukon's QBs, particularly starter Torry Mathis and his backup (and current starter due to Mathis' season-ending torn quadricep) Ben Harris, can be stopped or severely inhibited by limiting their mobility. The go-to defensive options here are QB contain blitz packages and any form of QB spy zone.

QB contain blitz packages can be risky because they tie up defensive resources that might be better served covering Yukon's diverse and effective receiving corps. However, they also apply needed pressure and keep the QB in the pocket. Both Mathis and Harris tend to lead receivers by scrambling out of the pocket and then gunning/dumping the ball off or running for a gain. QB contain will keep them in the pocket and force them to spend more time reading the defense and less time toying with the idea of scrambling for yards.

QB spy zones are probably the most efficient means of limiting Yukon's QBs. Assigning just one player, such as the MLB, on a QB spy zone will prevent Mathis or Harris for scrambling for anything more than a marginal gain and also prevent short leading passes over the middle. A player in a QB spy zone will shadow the QB about 4 yards off of the line of scrimmage, preventing him from connecting on any sort of short vertical pass play and also stopping him from scrambling. This takes away Mathis and Harris' favorite options and forces them to make either deep upfield passes or short horizontal and diagonal routes. Just like the QB contain, the QB spy zone limits QB mobility. However, it's much more difficult to evade at the expense of giving the QB more time to read the secondary.

Although it might be tempting to blitz more or run certain types of zone defenses that tend to confuse the Yeti offense, these options work less consistently than QB contain. That isn't to say they shouldn't be used, but by and large they will only work once the Yukon offense is frazzled.

From the perspective of the secondary, stopping Yukon's receivers is usually a nightmare. Most of this can be attributed to the ability of the QB to scramble out of the pocket and lead receivers to corners or across the field. Once this ability is negated, the secondary still has to overcome the threat of 4 very talented receivers on any given play (Mack Pleasant, T.J. Oliver, Richard Cummings, Lamar Craig). Using individual assignments for each receiver is a must. The fastest corner should play on Pleasant, the second fastest on Oliver. Singe coverage is always risky, but is permissible in the cases of Craig and Cummings. A talented corner can shutdown Oliver, but it takes an all-pro to shutdown Pleasant. In order to negate the advantage of Mack Pleasant, the safety on his side of the field must either zone the deep area of his section of the field or be fast enough to play man with him.

Situationally employing a cover 3 zone takes away many of Yukon's favored short passing options to the outside at the expense of leaving inside seams open. When combined with an effective 3 or 4 man pass rush, the cover 3 can force either Mathis or Harris into making ill advised throws, often leading to interceptions.

Finally, the easiest and most effective way to counter Yukon's offense is not to let it on the field. Simply put, the best defense is a good offense. Leaving Yukon's offense on the sidelines keeps the opposing defense resting. It is crucial to recognize that the reason for Yukon's defensive success is largely because it is not on the field as often as most other defenses. When it is on the field, it relies heavily on a run stopping front and man coverage. By using Yukon's offensive strategy against its own defense, the corners will be worn down and the line will get frustrated pass rushing.

Even when making these adjustments, Yukon still possess a talented team with solid coaching and generally smart play. They are a good team. However, the blowouts of the 2007 season have shown that the league is simply not providing the Yeti an adequate challenge. Perhaps by taking this advice, or by developing their own unique strategies, teams will finally begin to understand and stop what makes the Yeti so potent. Regardless, it seems it is too late for the 2007 season.

2007 NFA (4-20) Conference Championship League News Update

Conference Championship Matchups
Oklahoma Twisters (13-5) at Yukon Yeti (17-0)
7 to 37
Yukon's defense limited Oklahoma to 127 yards of total offense while Yukon's offense produced 421 yards. Although Yukon's first two drives resulted in 40 plus yard field goals, they soon began putting together the tremendous runs they are known for, putting up 21 points in the second quarter leaving the score at halftime to be 27 to 7 in their favor. Oklahoma's only score came on a fumble from Yukon QB Ben Harris after being blitzed hard. The Twisters ran the ball in 17 yards for the score with 1:48 to play in the second quarter. The second half saw Yukon post 3 points in the 3rd quarter and 7 in the fourth, tallying the final at 37 to 7. Thanks to a strong time of possession differential fueled by Yukon's offense and stout defense, Oklahoma couldn't get anything going. Despite 2 turnovers by Yukon on a Harris fumble and a Harris interception and only 1 interception from Marc Madison, Yukon's play was more consistent. Yukon QB Ben Harris was named the player of the game for his total of 370 passing yards on 22 out of 32 attempts and 3 touchdowns. Yukon remains the team to beat and returns to the Super Bowl for the third straight year, looking for their third straight victory.

Dakota Vipers (13-4) at Boston Liberty (15-2)
14 to 13
In this playoff rematch of week 2's Boston victory of 18-17, the tables were turned. I am amazed at how this game went. Boston seemed to be in command except when it mattered. They put together 182 yards of total offense, with 177 of it coming from passing. It looked as if they could move the ball with relative ease while Dakota struggled. The score at half was 13 to 7 in favor of Boston. Yet Dakota came up big when it mattered, converting on 3 huge takeaways and working the ball down the field with the game on the line. The Vipers' only touchdown of the first half came on a pick six from Boston QB Shane Gaines on the very first drive. After that, the game settled into a sort of defensive stalemate, but with Boston able to work the ball into the redzone 3 times (total of 4, with the first being when Gaines threw the pick). This game was simply a matter of making big plays when it counted. With under 3 minutes to play, Dakota took possession of the ball and drove down the field, finally converting with a big third down run for a TD. As Boston took the field, looking to at least drive into field goal range, a hard pass rush from MLB Mike Scott forced Shane Gaines to cough up the ball. Although Dakota missed a field goal on the drive that followed, the time they drained from the clock depleted Boston of timeouts. When a defensive stand at midfield forced Boston into a fourth down situation, they were unable to convert, sealing their defeat. Dakota took a knee and ran the clock out. The player of the game is rightly Dakota CB Dave Hawkins, a five year pro who compiled 5 tackles, 4 pass deflections, and 2 crucial interceptions, one of which he ran back 90 yards for a touchdown. Kudos to Dakota for taking down what should've been a better team.

Super Bowl IV
Dakota Vipers (14-4) vs. Yukon Yeti (18-0)
Dakota shows a lot of promise as a team that refuses to be beaten when the game is on the line. Obviously, there's a stark contrast between Yukon's tendency towards total dominance and Dakota's narrow victories. One could say that Yukon has more talent and employs better coaching and therefore has never had to deal with the situations that the Vipers had. On the other hand, Dakota has shown that they are consistently a scrappy team willing to make big plays. I favor Yukon in this matchup due to the fact that they have never struggled to roll on all cylinders this year. Yet, if things do not go their way, do they have the tools that Dakota has to recover? We'll see.

Friday, March 21, 2014

2007 NFA (4-19) Divisional League News Update

Divisional Matchups
Spokane Ospreys (11-6)  at Yukon Yeti (16-0)
10 to 41
Yukon's defense prevailed, giving its offense the edge it needed to run away with this one. Yukon QB Ben Harris lit up the defense with 6 touchdown passes. A predictable result, but Spokane showed their potential for next season when their star TE, Jim Hendricks (acquired from the Tide), returns.

Mexico Bulls (10-7) at Boston Liberty (14-2)
13 to 49
Mexico never had a chance in this game, just as I anticipated. Perhaps the margin of victory was more extreme than expected, but a victory for Boston was certainly predictable.

Oklahoma Twisters (12-5) at Atlantic Tide (11-5)
28 to 27
Oklahoma narrowly walked away with another playoff victory in this tightly contested game on the road. I applaud the way they've beat back adversity and used the talent they have to knock off solid teams.

Kentucky Stallions (12-5) at Dakota Vipers (12-4)
23 to 28
Dakota worked hard when it mattered and pulled away with the victory. Simply put, despite the appearance on paper that Kentucky is slightly better, Dakota wants to win more. The Vipers are showing a lot of tenacity and they deserve to move on.

Conference Championship Matchups
Oklahoma Twisters (13-5) at Yukon Yeti (17-0)
Dakota Vipers (13-4) at Boston Liberty (15-2)

All four of these teams have a lot of talent, next week will determine if they also have the will to win. Once again I am predicting victories for Yukon and Boston, but I've been wrong about Boston for two straight years. In 2005 they lost to Madison in divisionals and in 2006 they lost the Conference Championship to Kentucky. Will they finally return to the big game for the first time since 2004 or will the Vipers make their debut?

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

2007 NFA (4-18) Wildcard League News Update

Wildcard Matchups
Carson City Comets (10-6) at Oklahoma Twisters (11-5)
17 to 19
Carson City was in control for most of the first half with Oklahoma getting their only score from the defensive side, leaving the total at 7-10. Oklahoma battled back hard in the second half, converting on 4 field goals, the final of which was a game winner with four seconds to play from forty plus yards out. Either of these teams could've had homefield advantage with slightly better and more consistent seasons. Overall, a fantastic matchup and a great game to watch.

Topeka Oilers (9-7) at Mexico Bulls (9-7)
20 to 23
A tight game between division rivals with a predictable result.

Hawaii Warriors (11-5) at Spokane Ospreys (10-6)
6 to 13
Spokane was in control throughout this low scoring contest. This game was very similar to week 13, but with a much lower score.

Kentucky Stallions (11-5) at Santa Fe Bandits (8-8)
27 to 10
The Bandits never really stood a chance against a team hoping to make their second straight appearance in the Super Bowl.

Divisional Matchups
Spokane Ospreys (11-6)  at Yukon Yeti (16-0)
Mexico Bulls (10-7) at Boston Liberty (14-2)
Oklahoma Twisters (12-5) at Atlantic Tide (11-5)
Kentucky Stallions (12-5) at Dakota Vipers (12-4)

The first two of these matchups should go to the home team. Yukon certainly has the capability to smoke Spokane and their former QB, Charlie Joyce (acquired from free agency by Spokane before the trade deadline). I've been criticizing the NFC South all season for being overrated and I don't see Mexico doing much against a very powerful Boston squad. However, I like the last two of these matchups. The Atlantic Tide has fallen from grace in the past few years and for the first time since 2004, they're back with homefield advantage in the playoffs. They have something to prove, but they're going up against a very strong if not consistent opponent in Oklahoma. The Twisters are this year's second leading contributer to the AFC ProBowl team with 8 players (just behind Yukon's 9). What their offense can't do, their defense does. I'm inclined to favor Oklahoma despite Atlantic City's homefield advantage. I see the 5 game losing streak of the Twisters as a bit of a fluke. They deserve a slot in the AFC Conference Championship game this year. The Kentucky and Dakota game should be excellent and liable to go either way. I don't see either team having a distinct advantage, but I'm favoring Kentucky because of their slightly more balanced defense and their experience winning big games. Out of all the divisional matchups, this result is the hardest to predict. Boston and Yukon are the likely candidates for the Super Bowl this year, but this has been the case since the Yeti made their case in 2005 with their conquest of the Tide. So far a team has always stepped up to stop Boston. What will happen this year?

2007 NFA ProBowl

Here's the rosters for the ProBowl teams this year...

AFC 
QB:
Ben Harris (Yukon Yeti)
Cade Lewis (Atlantic Tide)
Marc Madison (Oklahoma Twisters)
HB:
Mike Matthews (Spokane Ospreys)
Antoine Page (Oklahoma Twisters)
Will Reynolds (Carson City Comets)
FB:
Charles Burnett (Yukon Yeti)
Julius Brown (Hawaii Warriors)
WR:
Mack Pleasant (Yukon Yeti)
Keith Murphy (Hartford Lightning)
Chad Abraham (Atlantic Tide)
Justin Glover (Oklahoma Twisters)
Andre Edwards (Oklahoma Twisters)
Jason Williams (Little Rock Crocs)
TE:
Kendrick Doss (Bar Harbor Captains)
Derek Pruitt (Yukon Yeti)
Dexter Manning (Salt Lake Scorpions)
LT:
Bam Taylor (Yukon Yeti)
RT:
Solomon Page (West Virginia Wizards)
Cameron Jordan (Hawaii Warriors)
Roger Payne (Yukon Yeti)
LG:
Gary Hoover (Atlantic Tide)
Adrian Millard (Atlantic Tide)
Calvin Waller (Puerto Rico Piranhas)
RG:
Desmond Ogden (Puerto Rico Piranhas)
C:
Chuck Renick (Oklahoma Twisters)
Kevin Harry (Carson City Comets)
RE:
Dave Chiang (Montana Grizzlies)
Chuckie Sylvester (Portland Flyers)
LE:
Chuck Heyward (Atlantic Tide)
Brandon Roberts (Yukon Yeti)
DT:
Kerry Bush (West Virginia Wizards)
Corey Foley (Oklahoma Twisters)
Jeff Figgins (Little Rock Crocs)
LOLB:
Derek Smith (Hartford Lightning)
Kevin Hilton (Little Rock Crocs)
ROLB:
Robert Francis (Carson City Comets)
Russell Duncan (Atlantic Tide)
MLB:
Michael Eubanks (Oklahoma Twisters)
Brian Fisk (Montana Grizzlies)
CB:
Ted Watts (Yukon Yeti)
Andre Harry (Yukon Yeti)
Pete Harris (West Virginia Wizards)
Ricardo Alford (Hawaii Warriors)
FS:
Michael Sherry (Carson City Comets)
Ronyell Atkinson (Salt Lake City Scorpions)
SS:
Thomas Williams (Carson City Comets)
Lennox Teall (Oklahoma Twisters)
K:
Byron Holmes (Spokane Ospreys)
P:
Jay Bates (Hawaii Warriors)
KR:
Nate Mack (CB, Little Rock Crocs)
Jermaine Thomas (CB, Carson City Comets)

NFC 
QB:
Shane Gaines (Boston Liberty)
Mark Pappas (Tiburon Sharks)
Jon Austin (Kentucky Stallions)
HB:
Jermaine Rojas (Dakota Vipers)
Terrance Griffith (Springfield Knights)
Doug Stratton (Jackson Dragons)
FB:
Jake Crankshaw (Boston Liberty)
Terrell Jones (Kentucky Stallions)
WR:
Raymond Clay (Topeka Oilers)
Bryan Nielsen (Madison Timberwolves)
Dwight Whitfield (Boston Liberty)
Rocco Carter (Kentucky Stallions)
Richard Jones (Santa Fe Bandits)
Wesley Lane (Dover Deer)
TE:
Randy Jones (Topeka Oilers)
Shelton Carty (Boston Liberty)
Terrell Taylor (Tucson Kings)
RT:
Wendell Thomas (Kentucky Stallions)
Omar Wooden (Dakota Vipers)
Marcus Schultz (Boston Liberty)
John Maddox (Santa Fe Bandits)
RG:
Howard Jones (Kentucky Stallions)
Kelvin Pappas (Dakota Vipers)
Bernard Green (Mexico Bulls)
LG:
Jared Andrews (Boston Liberty)
C:
Grant Taylor (Boston Liberty)
Mike Collins (Kentucky Stallions)
LE:
Julius Stephens (Mexico Bulls)
RE:
Ron Harris (Kentucky Stallions)
Matthew Walsh (Tucson Kings)
Lawrence Eaton (Dakota Vipers)
DT:
Blaine Parkman (Dakota Vipers)
LaBron Jeffries (Boston Liberty)
Ty Jordan (Kentucky Stallions)
ROLB:
Andrew Robertson (Mexico Bulls)
Charlie Clemons (Tucson Kings)
LOLB:
Phillip O'Neal (Boise Bison)
Leroy Banks (Boston Liberty)
MLB:
Rick Robbins (Santa Fe Bandits)
Anthony Dishman (Boston Liberty)
CB:
Champ Dickerson (Mexico Bulls)
Fred Price (Mexico Bulls)
Dave Hawkins (Dakota Vipers)
Kevin Butler (Iowa Rangers)
FS:
Charles Brown (Iowa Rangers)
Dave Hixon (Boise Bison)
SS:
Stephen Richardson (Dover Deer)
Jose Mitchell (Tucson Kings)
K:
Byron Hayden (Boston Liberty)
P:
Rodney Williams (Mexico Bulls)
KR:
Tyler Clayton (CB, Topeka Oilers)
Zeke Schroeder (Madison Timberwolves)

Monday, March 17, 2014

2007 NFA Awards

Here's the awards for the 2007 NFA season...

MVP: Ben Harris (QB, Yukon Yeti)
Offensive Player: Mack Pleasant (WR, Yukon Yeti)
Defensive Player: Michael Eubanks (MLB, Oklahoma Twisters)
Offensive Rookie: Chad Weaver (HB, Madison Timberwolves)
Defensive Rookie: Dan Spires (LOLB, Portland Flyers)
Best QB: Ben Harris (QB, Yukon Yeti)
Best RB: Mike Matthews (HB, Spokane Ospreys)
Best WR: Mack Pleasant (WR, Yukon Yeti)
Best OL: Chuck Renick (C, Oklahoma Twisters)
Best DL: Blaine Parkman (DT, Dakota Vipers)
Best LB: Michael Eubanks (MLB, Oklahoma Twisters)
Best DB: Champ Dickerson (CB, Mexico Bulls)
Best Kicker: Dwayne Payton (K, Bar Harbor Captains)
Coach: Bill Cowher (HC, Yukon Yeti)

2007 Season Recap

Key:
* = playoff team
# = wildcard
^ = homefield advantage in divisionals

AFC North
Yukon Yeti 16-0*^
Bar Harbor Captains 10-6
Montana Grizzlies 8-8
Lincoln Tribe 5-11

AFC South
Hawaii Warriors 11-5*#
Oklahoma Twisters 11-5*#
Salt Lake Scorpions 7-9
Puerto Rico Piranhas 6-10

AFC East
Atlantic Tide 11-5*^
Hartford Lightning 7-9
West Virginia Wizards 5-11
Concord Hawks 4-12

AFC West
Carson City Comets 10-6*#
Spokane Ospreys 10-6*#
Little Rock Crocs 6-10
Portland Flyers 1-15

NFC North
Dakota Vipers 12-4*^
Springfield Knights 9-7
Madison Timberwolves 7-9
Edmonton Beavers 1-15

NFC South
Mexico Bulls 9-7*#
Topeka Oilers 9-7*#
Tiburon Sharks 7-9
Jackson Dragons 7-9

NFC East
Boston Liberty 14-2*^
Kentucky Stallions 11-5*#
Iowa Rangers 8-8
Dover Deer 6-10

NFC West
Santa Fe Bandits 8-8*#
Boise Bison 8-8
Tucson Kings 7-9
Wyoming Wildcats 5-11

League News Update 4-17

Springfield Knights (9-6) at Boston Liberty (13-2)
16 to 45

Bar Harbor Captains (10-5) at Atlantic Tide (10-5)
21 to 38

Carson City Comets (10-5) at Little Rock Crocs (5-10)
0 to 19

Iowa Rangers (8-7) at Kentucky Stallions (10-5)
3 to 24

Tiburon Sharks (6-9) at Dover Deer (6-9)
28 to 14

Salt Lake Scorpions (6-9) at Topeka Oilers (9-6)
16 to 6

Dakota Vipers (11-4) at Edmonton Beavers (1-14)
34 to 0

Portland Flyers (1-14) at Montana Grizzlies (7-8)
10 to 17

Mexico Bulls (9-6) at Jckson Dragons (6-9)
13 to 27

Boise Bison (7-8) at Santa Fe Bandits (8-7)
23 to 17

Madison Timberwolves (7-8) at Spokane Ospreys (9-6)
7 to 20

Yukon Yeti (15-0) at Puerto Rico Piranhas (6-9)
33 to 3

Hartford Lightning (7-8) at Lincoln Tribe (4-11)
10 to 38

Concord Hawks (4-11) at West Virginia Wizards (4-11)
14 to 28

Tucson Kings (6-9) at Wyoming Wildcats (5-10)
27 to 24

Hawaii Warriors (11-4) at Oklahoma Twisters (10-5)
12 to 33

League News Update 4-16

Iowa Rangers (7-7) at Springfield Knights (9-5)
23 to 18

Puerto Rico Piranhas (5-9) at Tiburon Sharks (6-8)
38 to 35

Lincoln Tribe (4-10) at Bar Harbor Captains (9-5)
3 to 41

Portland Flyers (1-13) at Hawaii Warriors (10-4)
10 to 18

Jackson Dragons (5-9) at Topeka Oilers (9-5)
33 to 17

Santa Fe Bandits (8-6) at Edmonton Beavers (0-14)
13 to 20

Oklahoma Twisters (10-4) at Atlantic Tide (9-5)
21 to 29

Hartford Lightning (7-7) at Yukon Yeti (14-0)
3 to 41

Boise Bison (6-8) at Montana Grizzlies (7-7)
27 to 9

Carson City Comets (9-5) at Salt Lake Scorpions (6-8)
24 to 10

Kentucky Stallions (9-5) at Concord Hawks (4-10)
21 to 14

Mexico Bulls (9-5) at Wyoming Wildcats (4-10)
17 to 27

Madison Timberwolves (7-7) at Dover Deer (5-9)
16 to 24

Spokane Ospreys (8-6) at Little Rock Crocs (5-9)
22 to 21

West Virginia Wizards (4-10) at Boston Liberty (12-2)
17 to 27

Tucson Kings (6-8) at Dakota Vipers (10-4)
12 to 38

League News Update 4-15

Boise Bison (6-7) to Topeka Oilers (8-5)
14 to 24

Springfield Knights (8-5) at Madison Timberwolves (7-6)
34 to 20

Hartford Lightning (6-7) at Concord Hawks (4-9)
34 to 21

Carson City Comets (8-5) at Oklahoma Twisters (10-3)
19 to 14

Yukon Yeti (13-0) at Montana Grizzlies (7-6)
49 to 3

Dover Deer (5-8) at Atlantic Tide (8-5)
13 to 35

Hawaii Warriors (9-4) at Little Rock Crocs (5-8)
23 to 0

Jackson Dragons (5-8) at Tiburon Sharks (5-8)
17 to 38

Puerto Rico Piranhas (5-8) at Salt Lake Scorpions (5-8)
23 to 27

West Virginia Wizards (4-9) at Bar Harbor Captains (8-5)
10 to 23

Edmonton Beavers (0-13) at Dakota Vipers (9-4)
14 to 26

Boston Liberty (11-2) at Wyoming Wildcats (4-9)
18 to 13

Spokane Ospreys (7-6) at Portland Flyers (1-12)
27 to 17

Tucson Kings (6-7) at Lincoln Tribe (3-10)
6 to 13

Kentucky Stallions (9-4) at Iowa Rangers (6-7)
17 to 21

Santa Fe Bandits (8-5) at Mexico Bulls (8-5)
24 to 27

League News Update 4-14

Portland Flyers (1-11) at Puerto Rico Piranhas (4-8)
17 to 29

Madison Timberwolves (7-5) at Mexico Bulls (7-5)
3 to 23

Topeka Oilers (8-4) at Kentucky Stallions (8-4)
31 to 35

Dakota Vipers (8-4) at Iowa Rangers (6-6)
14 to 13

West Virginia Wizards (4-8) at Montana Grizzlies (6-6)
7 to 14

Concord Hawks (4-8) at Dover Deer (4-8)
14 to 49

Lincoln Tribe (3-9) at Yukon Yeti (12-0)
7 to 38

Little Rock Crocs (5-7) at Salt Lake Scorpions (4-8)
27 to 30

Oklahoma Twisters (10-2) at Hawaii Warriors (8-4)
3 to 20

Santa Fe Bandits (7-5) at Tiburon Sharks (5-7)
28 to 23

Wyoming Wildcats (3-9) at Jackson Dragons (5-7)
29 to 17

Spokane Ospreys (6-6) at Carson City Comets (8-4)
23 to 19

Bar Harbor Captains (7-5) at Tucson Kings (6-6)
20 to 17

Hartford Lightning (6-6) at Atlantic Tide (7-5)
16 to 34

Boston Liberty (10-2) at Edmonton Beavers (0-12)
27 to 0

Boise Bison (6-6) at Springfield Knights (7-5)
3 to 10

League News Update 4-13

Montana Grizzlies (6-5) at Lincoln Tribe (2-9)
10 to 13

Puerto Rico Piranhas (4-7) at West Virginia Wizards (3-8)
12 to 16

Madison Timberwolves (6-5) at Springfield Knights (7-4)
34 to 0

Atlantic Tide (7-4) at Kentucky Stallions (7-4)
30 to 33 (OT)

Bar Harbor Captains (7-4) at Yukon Yeti (11-0)
3 to 55

Tiburon Sharks (4-7) at Mexico Bulls (7-4)
22 to 11

Dakota Vipers (8-3) at Topeka Oilers (7-4)
9 to 28

Boston Liberty (9-2) at Dover Deer (4-7)
35 to 19

Jackson Dragons (5-6) at Iowa Rangers (5-6)
7 to 16

Spokane Ospreys (5-6) at Hawaii Warriors (8-3)
31 to 21

Edmonton Beavers (0-11) at Carson City Comets (7-4)
22 to 24

Boise Bison (5-6) at Wyoming Wildcats (3-8)
23 to 13

Tucson Kings (5-6) at Santa Fe Bandits (7-4)
23 to 15

Concord Hawks (3-8) at Little Rock Crocs (5-6)
27 to 15

Hartford Lightning (5-6) at Portland Flyers (1-10)
34 to 13

Oklahoma Twisters (10-1) at Salt Lake Scorpions (3-8)
21 to 30

League News Update 4-12

Spokane Ospreys (5-5) at Puerto Rico Piranhas (3-7)
20 to 23

Carson City Comets (7-3) at Yukon Yeti (10-0)
7 to 49

Bar Harbor Captains (6-4) at Oklahoma Twisters (10-0)
30 to 17

Iowa Rangers (5-5) at West Virginia Wizards (2-8)
10 to 22

Dakota Vipers (7-3) at Little Rock Crocs (5-5)
22 to 7

Concord Hawks (3-7) at Boston Liberty (8-2)
24 to 48

Dover Deer (3-7) at Edmonton Beavers (0-10)
37 to 3

Montana Grizzlies (5-5) at Salt Lake Scorpions (3-7)
26 to 13

Lincoln Tribe (2-8) at Hawaii Warriors (7-3)
9 to 23

Kentucky Stallions (6-4) at Springfield Knights (7-3)
27 to 14

Tiburon Sharks (3-7) at Wyoming Wildcats (3-7)
31 to 17

Topeka Oilers (6-4) at Tucson Kings (5-5)
31 to 14

Mexico Bulls (6-4) at Boise Bison (5-5)
26 to 20 (OT)

Madison Timberwolves (5-5) at Portland Flyers (1-9)
34 to 22

Jackson Dragons (4-6) at Santa Fe Bandits (7-3)
34 to 24

Atlantic Tide (6-4) at Hartford Lightning (5-5)
16 to 13

League News Update 4-11

Salt Lake Scorpions (3-6) at Hawaii Warriors (6-3)
24 to 30

Madison Timberwolves (4-5) at Edmonton Beavers (0-9)
37 to 13

Mexico Bulls (6-3) at Boston Liberty (7-2)
10 to 17

West Virginia Wizards (2-7) at Hartford Lightning (4-5)
20 to 23 (OT)

Concord Hawks (3-6) at Bar Harbor Captains (5-4)
3 to 44

Tiburon Sharks (2-7) at Boise Bison (5-4)
41 to 16

Atlantic Tide (5-4) at Lincoln Tribe (2-7)
30 to 14

Iowa Rangers (4-5) at Dover Deer (3-6)
6 to 5

Springfield Knights (7-2) at Dakota Vipers (6-3)
17 to 27

Kentucky Stallions (6-3) at Tucson Kings (4-5)
15 to 16

Santa Fe Bandits (6-3) at Wyoming Wildcats (3-6)
23 to 16

Oklahoma Twisters (9-0) at Puerto Rico Piranhas (3-6)
27 to 20

Carson City Comets (6-3) at Spokane Ospreys (5-4)
24 to 9

Little Rock Crocs (4-5) at Portland Flyers (1-8)
36 to 20

Montana Grizzlies (5-4) at Yukon Yeti (9-0)
17 to 35

Topeka Oilers (5-4) at Jackson Dragons (4-5)
31 to 24

League News Update 4-10

Carson City Comets (6-2) at Madison Timberwolves (3-5)
7 to 10

Hawaii Warriors (5-3) at Puerto Rico Piranhas (3-5)
16 to 13 (OT)

Topeka Oilers (4-4) at Tiburon Sharks (2-6)
22 to 17

West Virginia Wizards (2-6) at Dover Deer (2-6)
7 to 23

Yukon Yeti (8-0) at Lincoln Tribe (2-6)
48 to 0

Iowa Rangers (3-5) at Concord Hawks (3-5)
30 to 7

Oklahoma Twisters (8-0) at Jackson Dragons (4-4)
34 to 10

Edmonton Beavers (0-8) at Little Rock Crocs (3-5)
3 to 34

Portland Flyers (1-7) at Spokane Ospreys (4-4)
3 to 23

Montana Grizzlies (5-3) at Santa Fe Bandits (5-3)
7 to 16

Boston Liberty (6-2) at Atlantic Tide (5-3)
18 to 17

Wyoming Wildcats (3-5) at Bar Harbor Captains (4-4)
20 to 26

Boise Bison (5-3) at Tucson Kings (3-5)
17 to 24

Dakota Vipers (6-2) at Kentucky Stallions (5-3)
19 to 24